Are you living out of your IDENTITY in Christ or on your old thought patterns?Wanna know how to transform your mind? Put on Christ! He has given you a new heart (Ez. 36:26) that's alive to God. You are no longer a slave to sin. You are a slave to RIGHTEOUSNESS: that's your nature... your identity.

Jack Taylor said something to the effect of this: being weak in your mind makes the truths of your identity precious. Oh wow, how the Lord has made this truth to me! The more I surrender what I think about things and ask the Lord to reveal the reality of the gospel... well, HE does it! The truth of who I am in Christ sets me free. One thing that gets me a lot is a judgemental mindframe, but the more I recognize that I am totally accepted in Christ the more I no longer have to think of ways to form my own sense of worth...ultimately by belittling others! YUCK! He has given me total worth and acceptance and I know longer have to live out of my mind. I live out of my Spirit... my identity... and then my mind is transformed by that. Then, when a judgemental thought comes "I am so much more intimate with God than she is" I can take it captive: because the word says that we are not to judge and that we are ALL accepted not by what we do... and God sees the heart (I know I cannot) and ultimately because I am a child of God, and a righteous one at that. So since a righteous person does not think like that, then who's thought was that? Not mine! I refuse to take that as my own and reject this lie; Knowing that "she" is loved and accepted without condition. Knowing that none of us can get any closer or intimate with God that we already are, that thought is a lie, and I refuse to puff my own opinion up of myself (thinking i'm 'better than') to feel good. That's a cheap quick fix. Father offers wholeness and love regardless of my understanding of it or not! Praise God- I am not a judgemental person but a loving person in Christ.

So how am I livin? Well, we are similar to a temple on the old testament days. Looking from the outside you can see the walls (like our physical body: plain to the eye) and the outer courts- what makes up our body or our "members" then comes the Holy Place (this is like our soul: our mind will and emotions and what we operated out of before Christ gave us His life. This part is being progressively renewed to truth and changed/sanctified) and the innermost part is the Holy of Holies, separated by a curtain or veil where the Lord resides (this is like our Spirit- where we receive our identity at salvation).

The problem is when we were born our spirit was dead to God- we had no other option but to live out of the soul (out of the strength of our minds and how we perceived the world from day one- as twisted as that view may be). We use logic and our own will to make life work.

Once we become saved our spirit is reborn (we are a new creation) and we now have Christ as our source. We no longer have to figure out life on our own! He is all sufficient! The sad thing is we had become so comfortable living in and out of our mind we don't realize the freedom that's behind that curtain. Christ, the High priest, actually came to tear that curtain and invite us to intimacy/union/oneness with Him. But our free will (he's not gonna force us to love him or seek him) may continue to live/find life out of the mind. Thank goodness he is faithful to break us, to bring us to dependence on Him where we see that the mind is not sufficient but he is all sufficient. (Some it may take longer than others, sadly b/c some of us are really good at using our own thinking.)

Good news: He has torn down the barrier by totally paying the price for our sin (no debts owed by you or me) and giving us His life (residing in our spirit: our own Holy of Holies) and renewing our mind to the truth of our identity. THEN our mind is transformed and we live life out of the Spirit... the truths of our identity penetrate our thinking and we can surrender to HIM, knowing that just when I can't figure it out on my own, He is enough and He gives me His perspective--His godly wisdom, and Christ is my ultimate focus. He has given me all I need in Him. My TRUE identity. My TRUE nature.

Progressively, my thinking becomes more in line with His, more often my feelings line of with the truth and I stand changed: More like Christ, in whom Father finds great delight- living in His rest and peace and enjoying eternity today. What a gift the gospel is! Who else but God could give a heart message that changes you daily, frees you daily, and ultimately LOVES you daily and meeds every need in Christ Jesus?!!

It never ceases to amaze me how central the gospel truly is. I have said it many times before and I will continue to say that Jesus is the answer to everything. Want wisdom (which I believe is not a matter of 'what' but of 'who') ? Ask God- He will give you His perspective. It's amazing how free you can become if you will just tap into Christ in you (yep, you have the mind of Christ). He have EVERYTHING you need for life and godliness. For life? Really?Yep- Again, the gospel applies to ev-er-y-thing.Relationship problems?Take it to the gospel. It is so freeing to myself and those I come in contact with when I see them as God sees them... and when I see myself and God sees me: unconditionally accepted, not defined by my behavior in the flesh but in my new identity in Christ. Example: So if this person is treating me in an unloving way or I don't feel their love I take it to God...

"God how do you see this person?""Well Katie, I see him as loving because in Christ he IS loving. That's how I see him: for who he is. I accept him as my beloved child and nothing he can do can change that. I know his heart and I have not made you where you can see his heart, that's my job. Leave his behavior up to me and love him. Accept him. I have paid the price for all that he has done against you on the cross, therefore the behavior is irrelevant to complete and total acceptance. Love him like I have loved you, forgive him and accept him just as I have done for you."If I follow Father's advice I am freed up in many ways:I don't have to control this person or make them love me. I free them up to love me out of their fullness in Christ since I do not put standards or law on them by judging them (judging them in my heart or outwardly to their face is the same thing). I have a relationship where I am free to be myself because I am not worried about being rejected myself because I know who I am: Accepted and totally loved and in the beloved. I don't need this persons love although it is icing on the cake: It can be an affirmation and intensification of what I already know and have actually received from Christ alone but it can never replace it. Christ alone is enough.

True acceptance is from Christ: NOT Christ + others or Christ + acceptance of myself +othersit's HIM. And as He reveals this more and more to me, the more my freedom increases because regardless of what happens or what my circumstances my indicate (rejection, failure, etc) I stand accepted totally by a Holy Father who loves me with a depth that no man can touch. THAT is enough.